by Andrew Brown Stand Up For Southport
Good luck to all the Southport businesses due to be celebrated for their excellence at the Liverpool City Region Awards tonight!
Several top quality Southport venues will be keen to win honours in a glittering night at the Liverpool Cathedral this evening (Thursday 27th February 2025), among the very best of our region’s thriving tourism and hospitality sector.
There are nominations for sites elsewhere in Sefton too with finalists from Crosby and Bootle.
Southport has secured a clean sweep in the B&B and Guest House of the Year category, with The Bowden Lodge, The Braemar Southport and Sunnyside Guest House all shortlisted.
Sunnyside Guest House is also a finalist in other categories too: Accessible & Inclusive Tourism Award; and Ethical, Responsible and Sustainable Tourism Award.
The Windmill pub on Seabank Road has been named a Finalist for the Pub of The Year category for an impressive fourth time.
Tik Taco Mexican Cantina is a Finalist in the Restaurant of the Year category.
Garden By The Bay and The Eden Warehouse in Southport have been recognised in the Self-Catering Accommodation of the Year category.
The Lake House in Waterloo is a Finalist in the Business Events Category.
The new Salt & Tar events space in Bootle, which hosted gigs by Sir Tom Jones, Red Rum Club and Status Quo this summer, is a Finalist in the New Tourism Business Award category and also in the Entertainment Venue of the Year section.
Crosby Coffee and The Lake House are Finalists in the Café / Bistro of the Year category.
An expert judging panel whittled down a record number of entries across 19 categories into the shortlist. The number and quality of entries reflects the continued growth of the city region’s tourism industry.
The finalists will be recognised for their efforts at Liverpool Cathedral tonight (Thursday 27th February 2025).
Organised by the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority and supported by the Local Visitor Economy Partnership (LVEP), the prestigious awards highlight the best of tourism and hospitality across the city region.
This year’s 19 categories include awards for accommodation providers, attractions, food and drink venues and new tourism businesses. New for this year are the Accessible & Inclusive Tourism award and the International Tourism award.
Fourteen of the winners will then go forward to the Visit England Awards for Excellence in June 2025.
Cllr Wharton, Cabinet Member for Business, Investment and Trade said:
“Once again, we are delighted to have received so many entries for the Tourism Awards this year. With tourism now worth over £6bn to the Liverpool City Region these awards are a celebration of our city region’s thriving tourism industry and its enormous contribution to our economy.”
More than 60m people visited the city region in 2023, generating over £6bn for the local economy.
Bill Addy, Chief Executive at Liverpool BID Company and Headline Sponsor, said:
“As we prepare to gather together again to celebrate those working in our tourism industry and visitor economy it is a moment to think about how important these businesses, individuals and events are to our city region economy. It is not just jobs but experiences, welcomes, visits, special days out and cultural moments. Tourism is a vital ingredient in the business of the Liverpool City Region and its importance is something we just both celebrate and innovate to keep ourselves ahead of the game in such a competitive field.”
The headline sponsor is Liverpool BID Company, with associate sponsor Liverpool ONE. Other confirmed sponsors and event partners are ACC Liverpool, Bolland & Lowe, BDO LLP, The Guide Liverpool, Kimpton, Knowsley Safari, Liverpool Cathedral, Liverpool Football Club, Liverpool John Lennon Airport, London Northwestern, Merseyrail, MSP Global, My Time, National Museums Liverpool, PIB Insurance, Ticket Quarter, The Art School, The City of Liverpool College, The Metro, Virgin Experience Days and Wild Thang.
The full shortlist is:
B&B and Guest House of the Year
The Bowden Lodge
The Braemar Southport
Sunnyside Guest House
Self-Catering Accommodation of the Year
Garden by The Bay
Happy Days Apartments
Quest Apartments Liverpool City Centre
Staybridge Suites Liverpool
The Eden Warehouse
Hotel of the Year
Hope Street Hotel
Malmaison Liverpool
Novotel Liverpool Paddington Village
Pullman Liverpool
The Municipal Hotel & Spa MGallery Liverpool
Titanic Hotel Liverpool
Business Events Venue
Aintree Racecourse
Escape Live Liverpool
Hilton Hotel Liverpool
Rum Warehouse at Titanic Hotel Liverpool
Spaces at The Spine
The Lake House
New Tourism Business Award
Arts Bar Baltic
Blackstock Market
Eureka! Science + Discovery
Gravity Max Liverpool ONE
Salt & Tar
School Lane Hotel
Accessible & Inclusive Tourism Award
Eureka! Science + Discovery
Liverpool Cathedral
Liverpool Philharmonic
Strawberry Field
Sunnyside Guest House
Ethical, Responsible and Sustainable Tourism Award
Future Yard
Liverpool Philharmonic
Liverpool Properties, National Trust
NORD
Sunnyside Guest House
The Eden Warehouse
Titanic Hotel Liverpool
International Tourism Award
Hotel Anfield
Liverpool Cathedral
Liverpool Tourist Information Centre
The Beatles Story
Taste of Liverpool Award – Café / Bistro of the Year
Crosby Coffee
Imagine More Café at Strawberry Field
Museum of Liverpool Café
The Bluecoat Café
The Lake House
The Watering Can
Taste of Liverpool Award – Restaurant of the Year
Antonio’s Bar & Grill
Chamber 36
Delifonseca Dockside
Fazenda Rodizio Bar & Grill
Salt House Tapas
Tik Taco
Pub of the Year
The Bridewell
The Jacaranda
The One O’Clock Gun
The Red Fox
The Windmill Southport
Experience of the Year
Fab 4 Taxi Tours
Mersey Tunnel Tours
National Trust, The Beatles’ Childhood Homes
Reel Tours
Large Visitor Attraction of the Year
Liverpool Football Club Tours & Experiences
Liverpool Cathedral
National Trust, Speke Hall
The Beatles Story
World Museum Liverpool
Small Visitor Attraction of the Year
British Music Experience
Port Sunlight Museum
Royal Liver Building 360 Tour
Sefton Park Palm House Preservation Trust
Strawberry Field
Entertainment Venue of the Year
Arts Bar Hope Street
Albert’s Schloss
Liverpool Philharmonic
Salt & Tar
Shakespeare North Playhouse
The Liverpool Empire Theatre
Tourism Young Person of the Year
Jack Frank, Hilton Hotel Liverpool
Ellen Taylor, INNSiDE By Melia
Philip Barnes, Mersey Ferries
Erin Lorimer, Novotel Liverpool Paddington Village
Liam Roberts, School Lane Hotel
Tom Hughes, The Bus Yard
Daisy Cooper, Titanic Hotel Liverpool
Unsung Hero Award
Mark McKenna, Liverpool Tourist Information Centre
Craig Cavanagh, Masons Liverpool
Phil Witter, National Museums Liverpool
Simon Osborne, National Trust
Jean Milton, Port Sunlight Village Trust
Bridget Mulroy, Shakespeare North Playhouse
Veso Mihaylov, The Jacaranda/Jacaranda Baltic
The Hidden Gem finalists are:
Desserts by Dre, Penny Lane, Liverpool – Serving delicious sweet treats, this cake maker based on Penny Lane makes original gateaux flavour combinations.
Dicey Reilly’s, Liverpool – Irish Sports Bar based on Wolstenholme Square for all live sports and serving home-cooked pub grub.
Emily’s, Formby – A botanical hideaway in the heart of Formby, bringing a brunch experience by day and a la carte menu by night.
Fika Coffee, Liverpool – Family run Swedish inspired coffee shop with a community focus based on Woolton Road Liverpool.
Harefield Coffee Barn, Rainhill – Serving farmed and locally sourced produce next to an Alpaca farm based in Rainhill.
Hot Shots, Cains Brewery, Liverpool – An interactive AR Darts venue based in Cains Brewery offering a unique blend of history and modern entertainment.
Indian Tiffin Room, Liverpool – Delicious Indian Street food, inspired by the bustling streets of India, brought to you in a vibrant, friendly, casual atmosphere.
Vale Park, New Brighton – A beautiful well-maintained park with views across the River Mersey, and stunning displays of bedding, fairy village and cafe within its grounds.
VR Warehouse, Runcorn – Based in Runcorn and offering a unique and immersive experience that’s perfect for families, friends, or corporate events.
Wallasey Beach Club, Wirral – A lively community hub and hotspot for water sports enthusiasts
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